Blurred days

The Spring holiday at Japanese university continues.

I may have previously stated, here or otherwise, that I don't particularly mind having months of holiday and no classes when I only have a few days short of a year abroad, and that statement continues to be true. I feel I have gained so much from self studying in a month or so than I even got close to from classes here. The problem is that at my particular university, and from what I gather holds true for most universities in Tokyo, the Japanese students are not particualrly interested in speaking Japanese to foreign students. This leaves me in a state of feeling that I can't actually make use of what I am trying to learn.

Another issue is that, Tokyo is so expensive to live in, and had so many hidden costs everywhere, that I cannot actually afford to leave it. Generally I have been living within my means, I've not had many nights out, I've not bought extravagant things. If I have really, really wanted something, I sought out the cheapest deal I could find. Yet, I find myself worrying about what money I have on an almost daily basis, even when buying food.

It isn't all frustration, though. Thankfully, as other institutions have begun their holiday season, I've had the chance to meet friends from Sheffield, something which raised my spirits so much I actually struggle to properly put into words how much it cheered me up. The main thing I've noticed this year is just which people actually want to communicate with me. It's felt quite enlightening in some senses.

Another little aside is that, in an attempt to actually test my knowledge of Japanese, is that I've got involved with a fan translation of a SNES videogame. It's not something I've ever heard of, which might indicate just how niche it is to people who know me well, but so far it's been pretty plain sailing, which has boosted my confidence quite a bit.

Outside of that, my days have generally consisted of going to the free gym at university in the afternoon, studying in the evening and translating at night.

I get to feel productive at least.